


Merry Christmas, Cas

by Wolfstar4evr



Series: Supernatural Oneshots [21]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: A really really small hint at a mention of rape in chapter three and that's it, AU - No Hunting, And here we see some sembelance of a plot beginning to emerge, Cheesy, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Falling In Love, Fluff, Human Castiel, I didn't create that idea, M/M, Mugging, Now a story, Sassy, Sastiel - Freeform, Short Chapters, Short Story, Soulmate AU, This is not that kind of story, Well it is a soulmate Au, Your soulmates name is on you arm somewhere, all that jazz, and all that, but no one's hurt, enjoy, short and sweet, soulmate, soulmate identifying marks, unrealistic, woohoo!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-02-20 16:03:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13150122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfstar4evr/pseuds/Wolfstar4evr
Summary: The guy comes sprinting down the street and slips spectacularly, flying down the icy pavement on his back as his bag and wallet go flying, the contents of both spilling out. Sam immediately runs to help.When he sees the man's ID, his heart jumps to his throat. The name on the inside of his right arm seems to burn. "Are... Are you Castiel Novak?"The guy looks up in a panic, sees the look on Sam's face, and immediately goes pale. "Aw, shit," He huffs, looking back as a different guy comes running up the ice behind him. "No, no man." The guy is almost to them, just stepping on to the patch of ice he slipped on, beige trench coat flying out behind him. In a panic, the man in front of Sam shoves the bag into Sam's hands and takes off, saying in a rush: "No. He's the guy I just mugged."***A soulmate mark AU where your soulmate's name is covered until you're eighteen, at which point you can choose whether or not you want to take the cover off. Few don't; many do.





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I was shocked to find out that I last wrote something last October, because it certainly doesn't feel that long ago. Anyway, here's probably the only thing I'll upload this year, however I am working on a longer angsty Sam-centric oneshot to start 2018 with. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

_'This is ridiculous,'_ Sam grumbles to himself as he pulls his gloves on and then proceeds to shove his covered hands in his pockets to protect them from the biting cold. It's goddamn _Christmas Eve,_ and quite late on Christmas Eve too; he shouldn't even be here.

He's just looking for a last minute present for Lisa, Dean's girlfriend of three months. He wasn't going to, none of them thought she was even coming to Christmas dinner at Mom and Dad's, but apparently she is. Dean and Lisa are one of those non-traditional couples; neither of them took the cover off of their soulmate's names at eighteen. Many keep asking them what they'll do if they find out they're not actually soulmates, that there's someone else out there who's better, more perfect, made for them. Both of them are adamant that there's no one else, that they _are_ soulmates, however neither of them will take their covers off, just because of that small amount of doubt both of them feel.

Just as Sam stops outside the accessories store he hears a shout from up the street, and suddenly a short guy is sprinting towards him, slipping on the ice covering the pavement as he goes.

The guy comes sprinting down the street and slips spectacularly, flying down the icy pavement on his back as his bag and wallet go flying, the contents of both spilling out. Sam immediately runs to help.

When he sees the man's ID, his heart jumps to his throat. The name on the inside of his right arm seems to burn, the one he uncovered the moment he . "Are... Are you Castiel Novak?"

The guy looks up in a panic, sees the look on Sam's face, and immediately goes pale. "Aw, shit," He huffs, looking back as a different guy comes running up the ice behind him. "No, no man." The guy is almost to them, just stepping on to the patch of ice he slipped on. In a panic, the man in front of Sam shoves the bag into Sam's hands and takes off, saying in a rush: "No. He's the guy I just mugged."

The second guy catches up with Sam just as the other first guy round the corner at the end of the street. Instead of slipping on the ice this guy - Castiel, Sam assumes, his heart thudding even harder in his chest - simply slides on it, his legs completely steady underneath him with a face like thunder, his tench coat blowing out behind him like some kind of cape. His blue eyes are icy, and his black hair is wild from being whipped back and forth by the wind. Somehow he manages to control his slide across the ice so he stops directly next to Sam, who doesn't think he has seen anything so impressive in his entire life. "Bastard," He growls, and then turns to Sam, face still full of thunder but somehow softer, now that it's trained on a complete stranger. "Thanks," He says, reaching for his bag, which Sam gladly hands to him. "I'm Castiel," He holds his hand out for Sam to shake, and it takes Sam a moment to respond. _This_ is Castiel. His _soulmate_. Or is he? Does his arm say Sam Winchester? Does he even  _know_ if his arm says Sam Winchester? There's a decent chance that Castiel hasn't taken his cover off, and there a quite of few people who don't take kindly to being told they're someone's soulmate, as they decided not to take off their covers so they could choose their own destiny and their own partner. What if Castiel is one of those people?

He decides to just introduce himself. "I'm Sam, uh Sam Winchester," He mutters, taking Castiel's hand in his. Those blue eyes widen just slightly, and Sam suddenly finds his hand encased on both of Castiel's.

Both men's pink cheeks get impossibly pinker, and Sam can tell that Castiel is thinking pretty much exactly what Sam was thinking only moments ago. He brings his hand up to cover Castiel's other hand, noticing how red it is from being uncovered against this cold. "My name is uncovered," Sam tells Castiel gently, smiling slightly as wide, gummy smile immediately covers Castiel's face.

"Mine too," Castiel replies with fervour.

They don't kiss, or immediately declare their love for each other, they simply stand smiling for a second, before eventually turning away and blushing again. They quickly find a coffee shop to talk in, and to help Castiel warm up as he's severely under-dressed for the weather in only a suit and trench coat. Sam still can't believe he managed to be so controlled sliding on the ice wearing classic shoes. In fact, how he managed to stay stable on the ice _at al_ _l_ is a miracle in and of itself. 

The coffee shop is toasty, as hoped. There's a beautiful red and gold, warmly lit tree in the corner, and gold string lights hang from the ceiling and the counter. Large, glittery gold and silver snowflakes cover the front windows, and fake frost (possibly mixed in with real frost) is sprayed in each corner. Sam and Castiel are quick to take a seat in the corner so they can talk more privately, but not before ordering black coffee for Castiel and a vanilla latte for Sam. Castiel clutches his mug as though his life depends on it.

"So, uh, Castiel," Sam begins, only to be interrupted.

"Please, call me Cas; most people do," Castiel says, blowing absentmindedly on his mug to try and cool his coffee slightly.

"Cas," Sam repeats, liking how the name rolls off his tongue. "Uh... How are you?"

Cas laughs, a deep gravelly sound. "I'm well, thank you Sam. How are you?"

"Good, thanks," Sam replies, grinning at Cas' formal speech. "What were you doing out in the high street today? Last minute Christmas shopping?"

The dark-haired man laughs again, grinning warmly. "Ah, no, not quite. I was here to, uh, meet my brothers in a more neutral environment, you might say. Everyone is home for Christmas, and my older brothers, Michael and Luke, have never particularly got along so we decided to reunite them in a restaurant where they were less likely to cause a scene. But then Gabriel - ever the trickster in our family - decided it would be _great_ fun to steal my bag-"

"Wait," Sam splutters, eyes widening. "You  _know_ the guy who mugged you?"

"Well..." Castiel tilts his head and seems to be taking a moment to consider the question. "I wouldn't say he _mugged_ me, but yes, he is the youngest out of my four older brothers."

"He's your _brother?!"_ Sam can't imagine Dean doing anything like that to him.

Cas's eyebrows almost disappear into his hairline, and he takes a thoughtful sip of his coffee. "I didn't say he was a _good_ brother," Is his final reply, and Sam can't help but laugh at that.

"Sorry," Sam chuckles, "But I can't relate there. I've only got one sibling, and he's basically been a hero to me my whole life."

"Really?" Castiel seems overtly intrigued by this, and something about his earnestness makes Sam smile and feel warm inside. "What's his name? What's he like?"

"His name's Dean," Sam replies smoothly, jumping on the chance to discuss a familiar topic in his nerves. "He's just over four years older than me, and to be honest most of the time he's kind of a dick." Cas looks confused, his head tilting and eyes squinting in that adorable, contemplative way, so Sam is quick to continue. "I mean, he's not really a dick to me. He always helped me when I was a kid. Tutored me in physics and even the DT course I had to take one year. He always kept bullies away from me, too. In fact, he's the reason I was out today. He just informed us that he's bringing his new girlfriend over for dinner tomorrow, so I ran out to get her a present... Which I totally forgot to get actually." He chuckles to hide his frustration at himself over that, wanting to bang his head onto the table.

Cas' face immediately falls though, which makes things worse. "My apologies, Sam," He says, beginning to stand. "I should have asked if you had things to do, I'll just-"

"No, no, Cas," Sam sighs, grabbing onto the man's hand, this time without gloves. He tries to quash the little thrill that gives him. "It's fine. I'm sure she's not expecting anything anyway. I've only ever met her once, and that was in passing."

Cas slowly sits again, looking at Sam contemplatively again. "I would have thought that, considering how close you and Dean sound, you would be better acquainted with his soulmate." His tone isn't accusing at all, simply inquisitive, and Sam smiles at his lack of filter.

"She's not his soulmate," Sam replies, shaking his head. Cas' mouth opens slightly, so Sam rushes to answer expected questions before Cas can begin to answer them. "I mean, they might be. They're one of those new-age, 'it's my destiny' kind of couples. Neither of them have ever seen the names under their covers, and they're both adamant that they're each other's soulmates. They've only been going steady for about three months, which in the grand scheme of things isn't very long. I'd like to know her better, but until this morning I didn't see that opportunity until tomorrow."

Castiel nods thoughtfully, before launching into yet more questions, leading into comfortable, easy conversation. They stay there for hours, forgetting about where they are and their coffees which quickly grow cold in their hands. Eventually, however, the coffee shop has to close, and as they exchange numbers just outside the door and get ready to leave, Sam has a sudden thought. "Hey," He says, taking Castiel's hand in his. His gloves still aren't back on and he enjoys the feeling of Cas' rough palm against his. "If things get too stressful tomorrow, you know, with your brothers, then just text me and you'll be welcome to come over at any time, I swear."

Cas smiles wide and warm, drawing Sam closer by his hand. "Thank you Sam," He says, his voice dripping with warmth and sincerity. "But I will have to be present at the house all day tomorrow, if my revenge prank against Gabriel is going to work."

"Revenge prank?" Sam grins, leaning closer to the shorter man. "Do tell."

The dark-haired man laughs, throwing his head back and closing his eyes. "I'll tell you tomorrow," He eventually decides, taking a decisive step closer. "When I call you, to wish you a Merry Christmas." Then, without much warning, he pulls the taller man down into the most wonderful, most perfect, most soft, most warm kiss of Sam's entire life.

It doesn't last long, but that doesn't stop both of them being bright red by the time they separate, smiling uncontrollably at each other. "Merry Christmas, Cas," Sam whispers reverently, eyes scanning every inch of his soulmate's face, never wanting to forget this moment.

"Merry Christmas, Sam," Castiel replies in the same tone, before squeezing his soulmate's hand one more time and letting go, turning and walking down the street in the direction of home, already excited at the prospect of what's to come. He doesn't think he's ever been this excited for the future, and all because of one man, his soulmate.


	2. Christmas Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this was gonna be a oneshot HOWEVER I really liked writing this and I really like Sastiel SO it is now a non-oneshot. I can't promise it will end up being a particularly long story but I think at least another three or four short chapters are in order, possibly before new year. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Sam is just vibrating with excitement. His entire family have noticed the slight change in him, but no one comments on it, as it at least doesn't seem as though anything bad has happened. Dean's excited too, as it's almost time for Lisa to arrive and he can't wait for her to meet his family, especially Sammy. He's 90% certain he knows why his little brother is so happy, but he's not going to push Sammy on it if he's not ready to tell, he just hopes that if Sam has met Castiel, then everything went well, and Sammy isn't getting his hopes up for nothing.

The doorbell rings, and Dean is up and ready to get it almost instantly. He smiles wide as he opens it, expecting Lisa and instead finding a man only an inch or two shorter than him, with extraordinarily dark, messy hair and bright blue eyes. He was smiling too, but when he sees Dean the smile disappears slightly and he suddenly looks nervous. "Can I help you?" Dean asks, crossing his arms across his chest against the cold.

"Uh, yeah," The guy says, his voice more gravelly and deep than Dean expected. "I'm sorry. Is Sam here? I was told he'd be here today."

 _Ah_ , Dean thinks. _So this is Castiel_. He's not exactly sure how he's supposed to feel about this guy just showing up at his door, especially if he's right and Sam only met him yesterday. "What's it to you?" Dean asks, more sternly this time, staring down at the man from his vantage point on the doorstep. Castiel - although there is no proof it is actually Castiel - looks even more uncomfortable, if that's humanely possible.

"Could I please speak to Sam?" He asks again, quietly, looking slightly downcast.

"Honey?" A voice sounds behind Dean before he can answer, and suddenly Mom is standing next to him, turning sideways so she's able to see out the door. "Hi," She says warmly, even if she seems a little perplexed. "Can we help you?"

Castiel looks even _more_ nervous now, much to Dean's amusement. "Yes, ma'am," He says quietly, ducking his head. He shivers slightly, which makes Dean feel slightly bad for not letting him in. "I was looking for Sam Winchester?"

At those words, it's almost as though Sam is summoned, and he's pushing past Dean and Mom already dressed in boots and a coat, holding a second pair of gloves - the nice leather, lined ones Sam bought a couple years ago but hardly ever wears - in his already gloves hands. "Bye see you later!" He says quickly, taking the dark-haired man by the arm and quickly walking them down the street and out of sight, shoving the extra gloves into his pocket as he goes.

Ah, so definitely Castiel then.

***

"Sorry about that," Sam breathes, once they're round the corner. "I just... I'm not ready for them to know yet, you know?"

"I apologise too, for just showing up," Castiel replies, smiling up at his soulmate slightly, before he frowns. "If you don't mind me asking... Why wouldn't you want them to know? Are you worried about their reaction?"

Sam laughs, his eyes sparkling. "Yeah, but not for the reason you're thinking. They'd probably just ask loads of questions and want to know everything, you know? Dean would be really protective too, so I just wanted to keep this private for a bit, you know? To be honest, I'm pretty sure Dean already guessed, which would explain why he gave you such a hard time over it. And don't worry about showing up, I was really glad you were there, but how did you know where I lived?"

Cas looks suddenly sheepish, ducking his head. "My, uh... Well, my family know, as Gabriel decided to tell everyone last night, as he guessed that you were Sam Winchester from your reaction my name. My brother Raphael does accounts for the garage your father co-owns, and they have occasionally had meetings at your house. I'm sorry if I overstepped my bounds, but Michael and Luke began fighting again this morning and I just needed to get out of the house, and I ended up at yours, I'm really sorry." 

Sam smiles warmly at Cas, stopping in the street to look him in the eyes as he replies. Castiel can't help but smile back up at him. "I'm extremely glad you came over. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I missed you, even though we only met yesterday."

"I missed you too, so much," Castiel grins, smiling even wider as Sam takes both hands in his. He shivers slightly in the cold, once again wishing that he'd picked up a heavier coat than his favourite trench. At least Gabriel put a scarf on him while making him promise to come back for lunch. It's a nice scarf too, heavy, soft wool that has just enough ventilation that it's warm but not stifling. It's a shame he doesn't wear it very often; he would, however he's always in such a rush to leave or get somewhere that he struggles to be any sort of prepared further than grabbing his bag (which is actually quite often empty, so he tries to keep a twenty in the pocket at least) and putting on his trench coat, no matter the weather or temperature.

Slowly, so Cas has time to pull away if he wants, Sam leans down for a kiss. Cas throws himself into gladly. It lasts a little longer the night before, but is still slow and sweet. When they break apart again they're both smiling like fools, but neither can bring themselves to care. A shiver runs through Castiel again, still feeling the sharp cold despite the warm scarf. Sam notices immediately of course, and suddenly he's pulling some gloves from his pocket and pulling them onto Castiel's hands. The shorter man marvels at the almost immediate warmth, making his hands tingle. The gloves are beige, almost the same colour as his coat, and the lining inside is gloriously soft. "Sam," Cas whispers, wiggling his fingers inside the gloves. "I can't-"

Sam simply smiles and shakes his head, curling his hands over Cas's so Cas' hands are now curled into fists. "Merry Christmas, Castiel," He says softly, and Cas smiles back.

"Thank you," Cas murmurs back, still marveling at the feel of having warm hands as they turn around to walk some more.

They walk in silence for a while, however it's not uncomfortable. There's something nice about the peace of it; the snow is heavy on the ground and in the air, and the streets are quiet and empty. Christmas lights and trees are flashing through the snow, and it's beautiful. After about a block, however, Cas realises that Sam is struggling to keep warm against the snow as he has to hold the top of his coat shut. Cas assumes it's just a broken button, or maybe Sam just struggles to keep warm anyway, but his eyes light up as a way to repay Sam for the gloves comes to him. Within seconds, his own scarf is in his hands and then around Sam's neck, which he has to stand on his tiptoes to do. Sam looks down at him in surprise, and Cas says a firm (and maybe slightly aggressive) "Merry Christmas, Sam." before he can protest. Sam smiles in response.

"Thank you, Castiel," He says, and Cas doesn't think he's ever liked the sound of someone saying his full name more.

They walk again in companionable silence, and eventually reach Castiel's neighbourhood. Despite the disappointment of his time with Sam coming to an end - he promised to be back for lunch, and he's not about to subject Sam to any of his family, especially if they're all together - Cas can't help but feel relaxed, more relaxed than he's ever felt, at the prospect of being back in a room with his brothers. Despite this, he really doesn't want to leave his soulmate.

Sensing what Cas is thinking, Sam pulls the shorter man into his side. "Hey," He says. "If it gets too much again, just come over, or call me, and I'll come over and get you right away, I promise. You're always welcome at my house, Castiel."

"Thank you," Castiel answers, and he doesn't think he has ever meant anything more. "The same goes for you, although I would advise against walking into a house which has all four of my older brothers in."

Sam laughs, a soft sound. "I'll keep it in mind," He says, leaning down to steal quick kiss. He pulls the gloves more firmly over Cas's hands, and Castiel reaches up to secure the scarf more firmly around Sam's neck. Their goodbye is short and sweet, as it was last night, and as Cas walks up the drive to his house he can't help but be excited for the prospect of what's to come, firm with the knowledge that he'll probably be texting Sam as soon as he's inside, and they'll talk on the phone tonight, and they'll probably ( _definitely)_ be seeing each other tomorrow.

There has never been a better Christmas.


	3. Christmas Day 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Castiel's families interrogate them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOAH just a quick warning there's a small mention of/implication of rape in this chapter. I'm not planning to incorporate that into the storyline at all, just the mention of something that happened (not to Dean, but to a member of his family) is relevant to his feelings on the whole soulmate thing, and why he didn't take his cover off, which is what will be mostly discussed in this chapter. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy reading!

When Sam gets home he feels guilty to find that Lisa is already there, especially as everyone being there and meeting her was so important to Dean. Hopefully he can make up for it. He manages to successfully avoid Mom and her questions, quickly making his way up to his room to take off his coat and shoes. When he lifts Cas' scarf over his head, he simply holds it in his hands for a second, running his thumbs over the soft, heavy fabric. A smile comes to his face involuntarily, and it's still there as he walks downstairs, slipping quietly into the front room after seeing Mom is busy in the kitchen. Lisa and Dean are already in the room, making out on the couch while Dad is already taking his mandatory pre-dinner, post-present Christmas nap in his chair - the rest of them usually wait until the food coma sets in to nap in the afternoon, but Dad likes to use the time to enjoy a whisky and some bacon without Mom getting on his case about blood pressure. Sam throws a cushion from the other sofa at Dean's back.

"Bitch," Dean says, finally breaking away from Lisa.

"Jerk," Sam returns, grinning, turning to sit on the sofa he just threw the cushion from. He then turns to Lisa, smile softening. "Hey, I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived."

Lisa shrugs, flipping one side of her hair over her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Dean explained everything." A coy smile comes to her lips, and Dean actually, absolutely frickin' Cheshire-Cat _grins_ at him, teeth and all. Sam leans back in his chair to get further away from them.

"Explained what?" He asks, worried that he already knows, because there's no _way_ it's possible that-

"That you met your soulmate," Dean cackles, and yep, it is possible. Great.

"Keep your voice down," Sam hisses, eyeing the door of the kitchen, which is slightly ajar. "How the hell did you know about that?"

"Oh, please, Sammy," Dean says, waving a hand between them. "I know you better than you know yourself. You've been smiling like the Joker - and yes by that I do mean you were smiling in a creepy way - since you came home last night, and then a dorky accountant shows up at our door looking for you the next day? Not to mention you came back two hours late last night, _and_ don't think I saw the way you were smiling when you walked in here. I've got eyes in the back of my head, little brother; I know everything when it comes to you."

Sam hunches in on himself, glaring balefully at Dean, who simply grins back, eyebrows raised. "He's not an accountant, or a dork for that matter." Is what Sam eventually replies with, and if the way Dean's smile manages to get even wider is any indication then he's not helping his case _at all_. "He's a paramedic; he only just started the job for that matter. Since he's stuck in the uniform a lot of the time, in case he's called in, he likes to dress nice when he's not working. Since when is it a crime to wear a suit?"

Dean cackles again, throwing his head back against the couch cushions. Even Lisa chuckles a little to herself. "Man," Dean says, dramatically wiping a 'tear' away from his eye. "You've got it _bad_ man."

"Shut up," Sam says sharply, throwing the other sofa cushion at Dean's face. Unfortunately Dean just bats it away, looking more amused than ever.

The older Winchester manages to sober up for a moment. "Look, Sammy," He sighs, his expression suddenly heavy. "Are you sure about this? You seem pretty hung up on him since you only met him yesterday. I just don't want to see you hurt. Does he even know what he is to you? Does he feel the same?"

Sam shrugs, feeling the wight of Dean's seriousness in the air. "He knows he's my soulmate, if that's what you're asking. His name's uncovered too. And... I don't know Dean. It just feels right when I'm with him, you know? Like everything's easier. I don't worry about work or school when I'm with him... It's just... It's nice. I like him, a lot, and I think he likes me too."

"But are you just dating him because he's your soulmate? Is that the only basis of your feelings?" Dean presses, just wanting to make sure his little brother is safe and knows what he's doing. There are too many abusive relationships out there because of this whole soulmate thing. People think they're bound to their soulmates, and stay with them through everything - even through violence and abuse - just because society has pushed the idea of 'destiny' on them. This is why Dean never took off his cover; his parents aren't soulmates. One night, when he was about sixteen, some police officers came to their house. Dad had been missing for a week, and it turns out his first wife - his soulmate - had somehow checked herself out of the hospital they'd put her in when she and Dad had to seperate, found Dad, drugged him and took him to her house. Dean was caught listening before they discussed any more details, but a few years later he overheard Dad crying about how he has another son - other than Sam and Dean - and Dean knows in his heart that Dad would never cheat.

Sam doesn't know any of this, and in case that third son comes knocking, then no one intends him to. He knows his parents aren't soulmates, but he just assumes they're like Dean and Lisa: Choosing their own destiny.

"Dean," Sam sighs. "Yeah... I talked to him because we're soulmates, and to be honest I might not have spoken to him otherwise. To be honest when we met he kind of intimidated me, but now that I've talked to him properly, and I know just a little bit about him, I truly, truly believe he's right for me. He's kind and honest, and every time I'm apart from him I just want to see him and talk to him again, dorky accountant or not."

A small smile returns to Dean's face. "I thought you said he wasn't an accountant."

Sam rolls his eyes heavily, wishing he had another cushion to throw. "You know what I mean."

Dean's smile widens, and so does Lisa's at the exchange between the two brothers.

"Hey guys," Mom's head comes around the door to the kitchen. "You're not getting into trouble in here are you? Dinner will be ready in ten, and for goodness sake will one of you wake your father?" She disappears again, probably going to tend to something burning. Neither Sam nor Dean are looking forward to this meal; everything smells good, sure, but it's a well-known fact in their house that neither of their parents can or do cook. They grew up on frozen dinners and diner food, but for some reason Mom always wants to cook at Christmas. It never ends well.

"Ready to choke down a plate of charcoal?" Dean sasses as he stands up, lazily throwing an arm over Lisa's shoulder. Sam laughs in response, moving to wake his father. Every family has their traditions, he supposes, except his family doesn't seem to have very nice-tasting ones. For a second he wonders what traditions he and Cas will have, and then pushes that thought away. One step at a time, Winchester, one step at a time.

***

"Hey Castiel." Gabriel grins a little too widely for Cas's liking when he walks through the door. "How was your walk?"

"It was good, thank you Gabriel," Castiel replies blandly, quickly shoving the gloves off of his hands and into his coat pocket so he's not asked about them. He then sheds his coat, placing it on his labelled hook next to the door. He doesn't take his shoes off, as in his house not wearing shoes with a suit is frowned upon; they're all nicely dressed today, not just Castiel.

"How's Sam?" Gabriel presses, walking right up to Cas and invading his personal space. Considering Gabe is his closest brother and his main source of entertainment and worldliness growing up, it's not wonder Cas has issues with respecting other people's personal space now. He's been told this by many people, not only his other brothers and his parents, and he's just glad that Sam hasn't noticed yet. Hopefully he can get himself under control before too many of his quirks show through; he doesn't want to scare Sam away.

Cas pauses, looking to the side at Gabriel. "He's well," He replies eventually; there's no use in hiding it. Gabe knows he was with Sam, and if he lied he'd just get endless questions about it.

"Did I hear that correctly?" Luke - more commonly known as Lucifer by his brothers, as he had, and still has, a tendency to bully them all (and it is in fact his legal name, but no one mentions that) - grins, sauntering from the living room. "Little Cassy found his soulmate?"

"Leave him alone Lucifer," Gabriel spits. Only he's allowed to tease Castiel, and even if Luke was allowed to tease him he's too mean about it. "And don't act like you didn't already know. I told you guys last night."

"Castiel you met your soulmate?" Is their mother's first words upon their entrance to the living room. Everyone's already looking at the two of them; Luke went to get more wine, already bored with his little brother's private life. "How did this happen?"

"Ooh Ooh! Let me tell this one!" Gabriel steps dramatically in front of Cas, who panics and shakes his head at his brother frantically. There's no stopping Gabriel once he's started, though. "It all started on a cold winter night, Christmas Eve to be exact, and my family and I all went to dinner to celebrate the coming home of the oldest son. However, at the end of the meal I wasn't ready for the night to be over, and so to keep the drama going I looked to my second youngest and most favorite brother and, more importantly, his bag. Quick and sly as a fox, I stole it and stole away, but then, as I gracefully and heroically ran down the street, a patch of ice thwarted me! I fell deep down to the lowly pavement, where I slid over half a mile-"

"Barely a metre-"

"-and dropped Cassie's bag, and his wallet. His stuff went _everywhere!_ All hope was lost, until a gentle giant descended from the heavens, and helped me gather my stolen possessions. But then, as if fate had demanded this happen all along, he happened upon Cassie's ID, and his breath caught in his throat! 'Are you Castiel Novak?' He asked in a stutter, to which I replied 'Oh shit!'-"

"Language Gabriel!"

"-and hurriedly packed the rest of Cassie's things. 'He's the guy I just mugged', I told the giant, gearing up to run as the man in question slid up to us along the ice I had slipped on in a power move so brilliant, I have never seen anything like it in all my life. But alack! By the time the mighty terror reached the giant and I, I had already scarpered, leaving the giant with Cassie's bag, and, if I do say so myself, an excellent ice breaker, if you excuse the pun."

When he's finally finished he grins like a fool and does a little curtsy, to which their parents and brothers clap politely, as they're used to his dramatics. However Castiel simply rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "Sam is _not_ a giant," He eventually spits at his brother, which only earned him an amused smirk. "He's only four inches taller than me, but I suppose everyone is a giant to you Gabriel." The older man's smile falls, and he glares at Castiel who only smirks back.

"No fighting," Their father says suddenly, breaking the slight tension. "We get enough of that between Michael and Luke, so if we could now kindly sit down and have a civilised conversation. Alfie, sit over on that sofa; Castiel, take his place. Gabriel you can sit beside Alfie; you and Castiel sitting next to each other at the moment will only make things worse." Castiel and Gabriel watch as their youngest brother - whose real name is actually Sammandriel - huffs as he's forced to move seats. They take their assigned seats without complaint; it's a rare day that Dad is actually competent enough to actually order them to do stuff, it's best not to push him. "There," Their father sighs, as Luke comes back in and settles in a chair. "Now, we can have a normal conversation, can't we? Castiel, tell us more about your Sam. You are, after all, the first of any of your brothers to find your soulmate. This should be an exciting time for all. Does he come from a good family?"

Castiel freezes at that; he's not entirely sure the Winchesters are what his parents would constitute as 'good family'. They're very business oriented, and no matter what Sam has done with his life they might not deem the son of a mechanic worthy of their second youngest son. He's saved from answering by Raphael, however that's not necessarily a good thing.

"I've met the parents," Raphael says lazily, examining his fingernails. Eventually he looks up to find all eyes on him. "The father, John, co-owns the garage in town with Mike Guenther."

"Oh?" Their father questions, a bit too smug for Castiel's liking. "And what is he like?"

"A nice man, if overtly stressed about his funds," Raphael replies, his voice showing almost no interest in the topic he himself is discussing. "They hire me to do their accounts for them, however most of the time I find them already in order and checked. John is meticulous in making sure everything about his business is efficient and above board with his business. Guenther once told me that if only John could stand to wear suit, he would make a fine business man. To be honest, I'm inclined to agree."

Castiel relaxes, not sure he's ever felt so relieved in his life, and their father actually smiles. "Very well," He says, effectively ending the conversation before Castiel can even say anything. "Alfie, tell us about your studies. How is university treating you?" Trust him to ask that now, Alfie's already been home for two weeks. Nothing like a little bit of Christmas Day conversation.

Now that the conversation has moved away from him, Castiel finally relaxes fully into his seat. That might not have gone well; there's no telling what else his siblings know about the Winchesters. Due to his parents being soulmate purists - the type of people who believe you should stay a virgin for your soulmate and then be bound to them forever no matter what - he was worried that the subject of Sam's older brother might come up. His parents just can't abide people who don't marry their soulmates. They now, finally, accept that not everyone has the view of staying a virgin for their soulmate, but the idea of someone not finding out who their soulmate is with the intention of possibly never meeting their soulmate is unforgivable to them. If his parents find out that Sam is from a family that allows that sort of thing - i.e. allows their children to be free and happy and make their own choices - then there's a chance that they may not allow him to be with Sam at all, and that would be it. And, as they're purists, that would mean Castiel could never be with anyone. He would be forced to live with his parents until they died, just so they could make sure he wasn't with anyone, including Sam. He knows they'll do it, too; his uncle is still living with his grandparents because his uncle's soulmate's parents weren't actually soulmates, therefore the family was unsuitable.

He sighs heavily as Alfie goes on about his school, hoping and praying to God that the fact Sam's parents are actually decent people and allowed Dean to make his own choice regarding his cover doesn't ruin everything. He'll just have to see.


	4. Boxing Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Sam suggested they spend Boxing Day together, he didn't quite have this in mind.

When Sam suggested they spend boxing day together, this isn't really what he meant.

"Hey Cas, why don't we-"

"Do be quiet, Samuel," Cas responds without looking up from the paper in his hands, "This is of utmost import."

 Sam smiles privately to himself; it really says a lot about how comfortable they are around each other that Cas bosses him around like that (and that Sam kind of likes it).

After a second, Cas finally looks up from his paper, which is actually a map of the mall. Without looking back at Sam, he storms ahead into the crowds in search of the shop he was looking for on the map. All Sam can do is shake his head and try to follow him, thanking his height for giving him an advantage. Castiel's quick, though, so it's a challenge to keep up even if Sam can see further than most. Eventually, they reach an electronics store, where Cas hands Sam two flat screen TVs as soon as he reaches him. He then also picks up a stack of headphones and piles them on top of the boxes. Sam's eyes widen even further as Cas goes to pick a computer and monitor. 

"Uh... Cas?" Sam broaches, not wanting to upset whatever mindset his soulmate is in, but also still very slightly concerned. "I know there's a sale on, but you know all this will still cost a fortune, right?"

Cas just walks past him with the computer and monitor, only sparing a glance to Sam on his way. Sam's not sure he heard him, either that or he's selecting to ignore him.

After running out to the car to put all the electronics in the trunk safely, Cas runs back in with Sam again struggling to keep up. This time, to Sam's surprise, Sam finds himself in a children's clothing store. Well... not children's, but not something he would frequent necessarily. Cas seems to know exactly where he's going, however, and Sam soon finds himself holding a stack of clothes for both teenage boys and girls. Cas hasn't slowed down at all, and he's quickly gathering a pile of clothes for younger children into his own arms, and then trying to navigate his way to the cash register. Once Cas has dumped his hoard onto the counter he turns and takes Sam's, and does the same. Once everything is paid for and bagged, Sam finds himself being pulled out of the clothing store and into a nearby toy store. Once they leave they have toys of all kind, Barbies, action men, dolls, skateboards, roller skates, board games, bouncy balls, rubber balls and many others. When they get back to the car it hardly fits in the back of Sam's tiny Prius, as the trunk is already full of electronics. 

"What are going to do with all this stuff?" Sam asks quietly once everything is loaded and they're both strapped in. Cas simply looks down quietly, as if contemplating something. Eventually, he takes a deep breath, looks up, and gives Sam an address.

To Sam's shock, he knows it well, but he doesn't disclose that yet.

They have to drive a way out of town, until the bustle of the mall is far behind them, but eventually they pull up outside Harvelle and Singer's Home for Wayward Boys and Girls. "Did you spend time here as a kid?" Sam inquires softly, looking over at his soulmate. Sam did, and Dean, but Cas doesn't seem the type. At least, from what Sam has heard Cas' parents don't seem the type to put any of their kids in a home even if they did have to leave them for a while.

"No," Cas confirms, finally looking up at his soulmate. "I just like to donate whenever there's a sale. You know, black Friday, boxing day, sometimes New Years. My parents still give me an allowance every week, and I was at odds with what to do with it as I want to be self sufficient. This seemed like a good compromise."

Sam grins wider than he ever has before, and leans forward to kiss Cas passionately. When he pulls back Cas looks flushed and slightly confused. "I spent time here as a kid," Sam whispers. "Your money couldn't be spent on a batter cause." He gets out the car without another word, leaving Cas sitting there speechless. Almost as soon as Sam has shut his door, the door to the home opens and Ellen steps out.

"Sam Winchester!" She calls out across the front yard. "To what do I owe this surprise visit?"

Sam grins and crosses the yard to hug her tightly, his surrogate aunt smiling as she hugs him back. "Apparently your biggest donator is my soulmate."

She looks up at him in shock, her eyes flicking over to the car where Cas has finally moved and is now in the process of unloading the bags from the back. "Castiel is our only donator," Is what she finally settles on saying, looking back over to the car and laughing slightly. "Although I can't say we need two flat screen TVs."

Cas huffs as he sets the TVs down on the pavement. "I know the kids tend to break them," He says, "So I got two. If they don't break the first one then you and Bobby can have the other as a gift for all the good work you do. In fact, you should just take it and tell the kids that if they break that TV then they aren't getting another one until next boxing day."

Ellen roles her eyes. "You know you'll be back by New Years, Castiel. C'mon, you boys better help me get this stuff inside. Bobby's doing a shift at the garage with John since Mike's on vacation."

Soon they have everything they have everything inside, Ellen thanking Cas profusely over a set of coloured disco lights Sam didn't even know they had purchased. "One of our new kids is deaf, and he's only five," She explains "I'm sure this will be very beneficial for him."

They don't stay long, as Cas has to get to work pretty early in the evening. When they get in the car Cas has a quiet, contemplative look about him, so, instead of starting the car, Sam simply waits for him to speak. "If you don't mind me asking..." He starts, then pauses, considering his words. "Why did you spend time here as a kid?"

Sam smiles kindly at his soulmate, slinging an arm over his seat. "My dad went missing for a few days when I was younger. My mom had a hard time dealing with it, and as Ellen and Bobby are family friends she sent us here to stay. Technically we weren't there in the same way the other kids were, but we were treated like everyone else. It's a great place; they do a lot of good in this community."

Cas nods, contemplative again. Almost hesitantly, he leans up to kiss Sam softly and affectionately. "That they do," He says, feeling an inner warmth that he's pleased his soulmate, that he's done some good for a cause his soulmate loves. In that moment, he feels that the two of them are truly meant to be.


End file.
